Katie Gatti Tassin on Rethinking the ‘Hot Girl Hamster Wheel’ and Using Finance As a Tool for Empowerment

‘The Money with Katie Show’ host has some simple advice that will have a big impact on your finances.

Katie Gatti Tassin / Gabrielle Feiheit

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For many of us, including myself, money has often felt like an intimidating topic. As someone who grew up believing and relying on the idea that I just wasn’t a “math person,” it has taken a fair amount of effort for me to grow an interest in my finances. It ultimately took a shift in mindset. My desire to live the life I wanted eventually outweighed the fear and overwhelm that I felt from thinking about money and planning for my future. 

One of the most helpful tools in my journey was finding relatable voices that made financial concepts easier to understand. Katie Gatti Tassin, host of The Money with Katie show, is one such voice. Tassin has a unique gift for breaking down complex financial concepts into practical, digestible advice, while also addressing the societal structures that shape our financial realities. She started her podcast in 2020 to document her own learnings and personal journey to financial independence. 

As a woman, Tassin sees the path toward financial independence as an inherently feminist endeavor. It’s sobering to remember that as recently as 1974, banks could deny women credit cards simply because they were women. And we know the gender wealth gap is still an issue that is compounded by factors like wage disparity, the pink tax and the societal expectations tied to beauty standards.

The Rich Girl Nation author coined a metaphor for thinking about the spending that is often inherent to women, and she calls it the Hot Girl Hamster Wheel.

What is the Hot Girl Hamster Wheel?

Tassin coined the term “Hot Girl Hamster Wheel” to describe the endless cycle of spending tied to maintaining what society deems an acceptable feminine appearance. “Surveys show that the average woman who spends money on her appearance spends around $3,600 per year just on upkeep,” Tassin explains.  “So I call it a hamster wheel because [your body] will eventually reject all of these modifications. Your hair is going to grow out and the color is going to have to get fixed. Your nails are going to grow out and you’re going to have to remove the acrylic and replace it.”

Tassin explains further that these are not just costs at the margin. The opportunity cost of this annual spending over a 40-year working lifetime is extraordinarily high. She estimates that if you had that money invested, and received historical returns, you may realistically retire with an extra $1 million dollars. 

The line in the sand when it comes to budgeting and beauty spending

You might read that prior definition and think that a number of the things you enjoy doing for yourself, like getting your nails and eyelashes done, fall under the umbrella of self-care. The beauty [no pun intended] of having choice is that you alone get to choose how to spend your money and to what end. Tassin is not here to judge. She does, however, offer a valuable rule of thumb. “If you are spending more on aesthetic upkeep than you are saving every month, you are in a position where you’re probably imperiling your future. You are probably compromising your future security on behalf of a beauty standard. And that is worth taking a second look at.”

3 small steps with big impact to improve your finances 

When asked for simple, low-effort actions that can improve financial well-being, Tassin has three steps to share. However, she provided a disclaimer before diving in. “Caveating all of this advice is for someone who is not actively suffering from resource scarcity right now. I think it’s something like 25% of the U.S. labor force are low-wage workers who already are really good at budgeting because they have to budget every single penny just to make sure that they can make rent. So that is not who we’re talking about here. We are talking about someone who has access to the things that they need but might just feel like their financial situation is lackluster and they feel like they need a plan and they don’t know where to start. So that’s who this is for.”

Automate your savings

The first thing Tassin recommends is to set up an automatic contribution to a savings account or an investment account. The amount is not as important as the fact that you set up the contribution. “Even 50 bucks is great,” she says. “But the key is to set it up so that it will automatically withdraw the money from checking and put it in the savings account or put it in the investment account the day after you get paid.”

This way, you are saving immediately before you even have a chance to spend the money on something else. Many people report not even noticing the money leaving their spending budget. After three months, revisit and see if you can increase it by 10%, and continue adjusting the amount until you find your limit.

Play with a credit card pay off calculator

If debt is something you are dealing with, “this is going to blow your mind,” claims Tassin. “Set a timer for 20 minutes, Google ‘credit card payoff calculator’ and just for those 20 minutes, play around with the numbers. Play around with different higher monthly payments. You will probably find that an additional $50 or $100 a month will shorten that payoff window by years. It will save you thousands of dollars in interest.” You might find that a small regular increase can reduce a payment plan from 15 to five years, or even less. 

Journal about the life you want

This piece of advice has absolutely nothing to do with numbers, and is accessible regardless of where you are in your financial journey. “Imagine an ideal day in your life,” Tassin prompts. “It’s not a day you’re on vacation, it’s just a regular day in your life. What would make it ideal if you could [feel] like money was no object and also you were just charged with making your daily mundane Tuesday 10% better? What would that day look like and how much would those things cost?” Mapping out what you truly desire can help you connect your financial goals to what matters to you, and hopefully increase your motivation to financially plan for your future.

Katie Gatti Tassin / Jessica Chou

Rapid fire money questions

What was your most recent splurge that was totally worth it?

“I took three of my friends to Paris to see Taylor Swift. I used some of my book advance on it and it was like the greatest money I’ve ever spent in my life.”

What are your favorite financial tracking apps or tools? 

“I have two. The first is mine, the Wealth Planner, which is a tool that we revamp and build new features into every year, but it’s designed to help you draw the connection between the decisions you’re making with money now and what that actually means for your future ... If I make this change now, what does that mean for me 10 years from now? I really value that aspect of the wealth planner. The other tool that I love and use all the time is an app called Copilot Money and it’s available for iOS and I think MacOSS, but it’s not available for Android users yet. It’s what I use to aggregate all my transactions in one place.”

Do you have a favorite credit card?

“My favorite is the Platinum Card by American Express. I love it because it makes traveling—all aspects of traveling—much easier.  But it also has a lot of small luxury benefits.”

 Do you have a favorite mantra?

“‘I have enough.’ I like it because it gives me a sense of peace and I think ... there’s a bunch of different interpretations of it. So you can think about it from the standpoint of, if you feel tempted by the rampant consumerism that you see, reminding yourself that you are already enough.”

What is the biggest money myth you wish people would stop believing?

“The biggest money myth is that there’s any amount of money that you could get and then feel happy.”

Three other money influencers or thinkers you love?

“Chelsea Fagan. Berna Anat. Grace Blakeley.”

Tassin’s first book, Rich Girl Nation, is available for pre-order now. Reserve your copy for more tips to revolutionize the way you think about money. You can also purchase Tassin’s 2025 Wealth Planner on her website to help you track spending, investments and behavior all in one place.

Stay tuned to SI Swimsuit’s 31 Days of Wellness to continue to learn how to take charge in the year ahead!

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